


And Then There Were Three

by Greychance



Category: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black
Genre: F/M, Fluff because I lack self-control, Post QoN, Unplanned Pregnancy, probably a bit of angst too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:40:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21786898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greychance/pseuds/Greychance
Summary: “And the Elfin-King had sworn to wedA daughter of Earth, whose child shall be,By cross and water hallowed,From the fairies’ doom forever free”In which Jude makes an unexpected discovery.
Relationships: Jude Duarte/Cardan Greenbriar
Comments: 11
Kudos: 247





	1. Chapter 1

“At what point does our night end? Or were you simply planning to forgo sleep altogether?”

The sixth hour of celebration was approaching, and while she would never admit to such an ailment, the High Queen of Elfhame was struggling to remember an occasion in which she had been more exhausted.

Which was ridiculous.

Given everything Jude had endured, the fact that a simple revel was proving to be such a challenge was infuriating. Nevertheless, as the hours wore on, the Queen found herself battling her traitorous eyelids, which refused to stay open. At this point, her consciousness was solely fueled by an unrelenting stubbornness.

Cardan’s answering grin only irritated her further. She scowled at the King lounging on the throne to her left, which appeared to delight him.

“You may come and go as you wish, Jude dear. Though I must admit, it would be uncharacteristically cruel to abandon your husband on his own birthday.”

“But it’s not your birthday. Your birthday was two weeks ago,” she reminded him crossly. This he could not deny. The 1st of May had come and gone, yet the celebrations continued throughout all of Elfhame. Not that this was of any surprise to Jude. She knew all too well the Fae would find any excuse for such excessive revelry. The first quarter century of the High King’s life was as good a reason as any to indulge in merriment.

And normally Jude wouldn’t mind such festivity, would even find enjoyment in it. But Jude wasn’t normally this  _ tired _ .

Cardan arched a single brow at the Queen and gave a noncommittal hum, his amusement still clear in the slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“I would be more than happy to accompany you back to our chambers, wife,” he smirked. “Although I am rather surprised that you’ve managed to tire yourself out before dinner is even served.”

Jude tried and failed to bite back a groan. After nearly half a month of celebration, the nights had begun to bleed into one another, until they were impossible to differentiate. She could have sworn hours had pasted since their arrival, yet the silvery light at the entryway indicated that the moon still sat high in the sky. Her evening was far from over.

“I’m willing to strike a bargain, of course,” Cardan said, humor still lacing his every word. “I know how fond you are of such things.”

Jude’s eyes widened in mock intrigue. “And what does his infernal majesty have to offer?”

Cardan laughed. “I think you’ll find the terms quite reasonable. I request but a single dance with my wife. That, and you accompany me to dinner. In return, I’ll personally see you back to our rooms before the first light. Certainly you cannot reject such an offer.” He smirked. “Especially given that tonight’s meal happens to be a favorite of the Queen’s.”

Damn him. With a defeated sign, she asked “roasted pheasant and rosemary?”

Grinning, Cardan rose from his throne with an easy grace before extending an arm to Jude. “Of course. It is my birthday, after all.”

“It is  _not_ your birthday,” although this time she failed to keep the smile from her voice.

“Semantics.”

Rolling her eyes, she hooked an arm through her husband’s, and the High King and Queen made their way down from the dias.

Jude had once been willing to go to any length to avoid the chaos of fae revels. She had been nurtured on a wariness of their wild dances, raised to fear their unearthly music, which snared the minds and captured the wills of mortals like herself. 

But she was no longer a child cowering beneath the tables, petrified of drawing unwanted attention. She was the Queen of Elfhame. With a single word, she could silence every instrument; a mere hand gesture from her, enough to still an entire celebration. It was this power that allowed Jude the freedom to give up control, at least for a little while.

So as her husband guided her through the crowd of dancing fae, all moving with a beautifully feral grace, she did not have to fight the urge to flee. When Cardan glanced back at her, she simply grinned. 

He smiled in return, let his hands wander to her waist as she gently tangled her fingers in the small curls at the base of his neck. For a few moments, Jude allowed herself to simply relax as the two of them moved in rhythm to the music.

As the song drew to a close, Cardan leaned forward. She felt his mouth brush against her ear, but before he had the chance to whisper what was certainly something wholly inappropriate for a public setting, Jude felt a small tug on the hem of her gown. 

Turning, she was greeted by a mane of fiery red hair. Large golden-brown eyes that matched her own peered up at the Queen, accompanied by a heartbreaking soft smile. It seemed Taryn had yet to teach her four-year-old daughter all the facets of courtly manners. Not that Jude minded in the slightest. Cardan most certainly didn’t. Before Jude could even react, the King had already swept his young niece into his arms. He gave her a conspiratorial grin, and was rewarded by a giggle of delight.

“Hello Alys. Decided to do a bit of exploring, have we?”

The little girl beamed. “I snuck away from mama when she wasn’t looking, just like you showed me.”

Cardan spotted Jude’s express and raised his free hand in defense, laughing. “I merely taught her slyfooting. Her rebellious tendencies have nothing to do with me.” He turned his attention back to his niece, before mock-whispering to the child, “remind me, we must see if you inherited your mother’s useful ability to lie.“ 

At that moment, the trumpets announcing the arrival of dinner sounded, drawing everyone’s attention towards the banquet tables.

“Saved by the bell,” Cardan grinned. Still holding Alys, he took Jude’s hand, and the three made their way to the head of the table.

As the rest of the court found their seats, Jude watched as several roasted pheasants were brought forth, all coated in an array of herbs and spices. Right then, the Queen found the prospects of dinner to be embarrassingly enticing.

That is, until a plate arrived in front of her.

Looking at the meal, nothing appeared out of the ordinary. The bird was cooked to perfection, the skin a tantalizing golden-brown, it’s slight sheen indicating it was neither too dry nor under prepared. All around her, the fae devoured their servings without a moment of hesitation, some even calling out for seconds.

Meanwhile, Jude was doing everything in her power not to empty her stomach before the entirety of the court.

She glared at the dinner before her, as if anger alone would quell her nausea.

_There is absolutely nothing wrong with the food. You love roasted pheasant. The whole fucking court loves roasted pheasant. Just enjoy your meal._

Over and over she repeated this to herself. Yet when the scent reached her nose again, Jude had to fight the urge to physically recoil.

Maybe she had simply been given a spoiled cut. Jude looked around her to see if anyone else was experiencing a similar issue. She found Cardan laughing besides with a noble whose name she’d forgotten, his wineglass empty and his dinner nearly gone as well. To Jude’s right, Taryn delicately picked apart the pheasant, her slow progression clearly the product of courtly manners rather than displeasure with the meal. Her twin caught her gaze, frowning slightly when she noticed the plate of uneaten food before the Queen.

Sighing, Jude returned her attention to the roasted bird before her. She wasn’t that hungry anyway.

After several minutes of pushing the uneaten food around her plate, Jude felt a familiar hand brush the small of her back, followed by the soft caress of a laugh against her skin.

“Not in the mood for pheasant?” She turned to find her husband perched on the arm of her chair, eyes alight with mischief. He gave her a wicked grin. “Perhaps we should consider an emergency raid of the kitchen.”

Jude leaned back against him. The offer was tempting. Over the years; Cardan hadmade a habit of carving out opportunities for these little adventures. Sometimes, they would slip the royal guard and explore the castle passages. On other occasions, the two monarchs would spend a few hours in the garden or perhaps curled up in one of the dozens of library alcoves. On their last excursion, they’d traveled to a beautiful lagoon hidden amidst the forest of Insweal. Each journey was wholly different and spontaneous, characterized by chaos and plans gone awry. They were also some of Jude’s fondest memories.

Cardan spoke suddenly, rousing Jude from her thoughts. “On second thought, the kitchen visit will have to be postponed.” He gave her a teasing smirk. “It won’t be nearly as enjoyable if my accomplice is falling asleep on the job.”

Jude hadn’t even realized she’d closed her eyes. She laughed quietly, a short huff of air out her nose that was barely perceptible before murmuring her agreement.

She stood with as much grace as she could manage before taking Cardan’s arm. If she leaned into him a bit more than usual on the way out the throne room, he certainly didn’t seem to mind.

As soon as the doors had been shut behind them, Jude let her shoulders slump, overcome by exhaustion. Turning in the direction of her room, she’d gone only a few paces before Jude felt her feet swept out from under her.

The Queen let out a yelp of surprise that momentarily drowned out her husband’s delighted laughter as he hoisted her into the air.

“Surely you haven’t forgotten our bargain so soon, wife?” Cardan purred. “I promised to personally escort you back to our chambers, and I am not one to renege on an agreement.”

Under other circumstances, Jude may have objected to being carried through the palace halls like a child. But she was very tired, and her currently position was surprisingly comfortable. She buried her face in the front of Cardan’s doublet, the fabric muffling her voice slightly as she said, “Fine. Just don’t drop me.” 

As she drifted off to sleep, she heard his quiet laughter. “Goodnight, Jude.”


	2. Chapter 2

The High Queen awoke to an uncharacteristically empty bed. It was unusual-practically unheard of- for Cardan to be up before her. Between the two of them, Jude tended to be more inclined to awake at a civil hour. Then she noticed the silvery light that had crept into the royal chambers through an overlooked part in the curtains.

_ Shit. What time was it? _

Pulling back the curtains, Jude cursed under her breath. The moon shone back at her, it’s placement in the night sky indicating it had risen several hours ago. She had overslept.

Sighing, she turned back to the room. Immediately, a note on the bedside table caught her attention. Recognizing Cardan’s familiar handwriting, she smiled to herself as she picked up the brief letter.

_ Jude, _

_I figured you’d benefit far more from a few hours of rest than the tenuous discussion of the counsel. Despite there being no matters of pressing concern, they’ve somehow found a way to scrounge together enough information to demand royal attention. In the meantime, try to enjoy your day off. Taryn was asking about you this morning- perhaps visit her. I’ll be back later this evening for dinner, which I’ve asked the chefs to bring to our rooms. I know you’ll want to hear the reports from today’s meetings (regardless of how dull they prove to be) so I’ve arranged_ _ for written accounts to be delivered as tonight’s entertainment. _

_ -Cardan_

Closing her eyes, Jude flopped back onto the bed. The prospect of simply going back to sleep was incredibly enticing.

Sighing, she forced her eyes open once more. No, she would not allow herself to lounge about for an entire day, tempting as it may be. Pulling on a coat, Jude decided would take her husband’s advice. 

As the moon reached its peak above Elfhame, the Queen went to pay her sister a visit. 

****

The estate was both just as Jude remembered and nothing like what it had once been. The enormous maze still curled around the exterior of the mansionlike some sleeping beast. The familiar tower held its fixed point in the sky. Yet despite the lack of exterior change, the entire place felt as if it had somehow been infused with a new life.

Perhaps it was the small garden the Ghost had helped Taryn build last summer, or maybe it stemmed from one of the homespun dolls Alys left strewn all about the property. Whatever the cause, Jude felt a rush of contentment as she strode into the house.

Immediately, the Queen was greeted by a familiar flurry of activity. Taryn had never been content to allow any social occasion to go uncelebrated, even something as trivial as a casual weekend visit from Vivi. Jude found her twin in the dining room, carefully assembling an ostentatious centerpiece.

“Jude!” Taryn’s eyes lit up upon seeing her sister. She discarded the half-finished project before her, rushing over to give the Queen a hug. “I ran into Cardan this morning. He told me you were taking the day to rest, but I thought you might have a difficult time relaxing without something to do.” Taryn grinned. “I also wanted an excuse to catch up with you. I feel like we haven’t talked in ages.” Jude laughed. For all their past conflicts, there was no doubt that her twin knew her well. “I’d love nothing more.”

The next few hours were filled with idle discussion and any task Taryn could dream up. Jude told her sister about the recent escapades of the court, while her twin entertained her with endless stories of her daughter’s antics.

“She turns five next month,” Taryn sighed. She smiled sadly. “I know it’s certainly not an original sentiment, but it seems she’s growing up so quickly.” Jude couldn’t help but agree. It seemed impossible nearly half a decade had passed since Alys had been born. The Queen so clearly remember that night she had returned to Vivi’s apartment in the mortal world to find Taryn, had learned her sister carried the child of a male Jude had despised. How could she possibly forget that day? It had been the catalyst that had initiated returned her to Elfhame, to the magic of mayhem of the court, to Cardan.

Jude shook her head, rousing herself from her thoughts. She found Taryn studying her with an expression the Queen couldn’t quite read. “Did I ever tell you the story of how I discovered I was pregnant?”

“I don’t believe so,” Jude said with a grin. “Though to be fair, between a murder trial and an impending war with our estranged father, we had a lot going on at the time.”

Taryn laughed. “I didn’t even suspect anything was amiss for the first month. No morning sickness, cravings, any of it. I noticed a few changes of course, but I merely thought I had come down with a cold. I remember I was exhausted, but little else beyond that.”

Here she paused. She was still looking at Jude with that strange expression. “Certain scents bothered me as well. I avoided the coast for weeks because the smell of salt in the air made me feel like heaving.”

She again turned to Jude expectantly, as if waiting for her to speak. Baffled at what reaction Taryn wanted, she remained quiet. Her sister sighed. “I saw you nearly fall asleep at last night’s revel. And as subtle as you thought you were, it was pretty clear that you wanted nothing to do with that pheasant.”

Oh.  _Oh_.

“You think I’m- that Cardan and I-“ Jude couldn’t even wrap her mind around it. Yes, she had been exhausted recently, but everyone got tired. And the pheasant had been a one-time occurrence, certainly the result of spoiled meat, not-  that.  “I’m only a few days late,” she sputtered. “It could just as easily be due to some change in my eating habits, or maybe I’ve been under more stress recently-“ Jude cut herself off. She was making excuses.  _ Why was she making excuses? _

“Jude. Breathe.” Her sister placed a reassuring hand on her arm, tilting her head slightly in order to meet the increasingly frantic gaze of the Queen. Taryn gave her twin a moment to collect herself before carrying on. “It’s merely my own observations. It could very well amount to nothing.” Her sister gave her a small smile. “But you’ve always prided yourself in being a strategist. The ex-puppeteer, the mortal Queen with a plan for every possible outcome. The odds are certainly small, but I’d never knowingly let you be blindsided.”

At this, Jude is able to escape her own thoughts long enough to arch a single eyebrow, immediately recalling several occasions in which her twin had done just that. Taryn grinned sheepishly. “Not about something like this,” she amends.

“It’s going to be fine, Jude,” her sister murmured, pulling her into a tight embrace. “Nothing at this point is known for certain. And even so, nothing is set in stone. Even if you are with child, it’s early. You have plenty of options. You know your family- me, Vivi, Cardan,  _ everyone _ \- will support you no matter your choice.” Jude held her sister tightly, before pulling back. She gave her twin a well-practiced grin, one that conveyed a certain confidence the Queen herself didn’t feel. “Of course. There’s no reason to lose one’s head over problems that have yet to come to fruition. It’ll be fine.” If only she believed it.  
  


****

Jude Duarte was rarely anxious. That’s not to say she was unfamiliar with fear. But the jittery nerves that currently had her leg’s bouncing up an down as she sat in the washroom of the royal chambers was largely foreign to her. 

_ Get a grip on yourself. You haven’t even taken the damn test yet. _

Jude peered up at the small box that sat on the counter above her. It didn’t appear very threatening. The box was mainly white, with the exception of the bold blue font spelling out  _ First Response_ . It stood in stark contrast with the rest of the room, decorated with other otherworldly finery.

Jude exhaled. This was ridiculous. She had grown up in the household of her parent’s murderer, had faced down and bested the cruelty of fae as a mortal. There was no reason she should be scared of a stupid pregnancy test. She wasn’t even pregnant.

Probably.

She certainly didn’t  _ feel _ pregnant. She frowned down at her abdomen, which looked the same as it always had.

Jude sighed. She was stalling. Before she could think better of it, she pushed herself off the floor and torn open the packaging.

Once the test was complete, the Queen quickly tossed the small device away as if it had burned her. Jude could simply not look at the results. She didn’t  _need_ to know. But of course she did. Taryn had been right. Steeling herself, Jude retrieved the test.

In that moment, everything seemed to go very quiet, as if the land itself was holding its breath. Then Jude felt her heart pause. She heard a rushing in her ears, felt her stomach drop. For a brief second, she forgot how to breathe.

The two red lines glared up at her with a terrifying finality.

_ Fuck._

**Author's Note:**

> Consider this a prequel to Princling because like a dumbass I structured it as a one-shot but loved the idea too much to let it go.


End file.
